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1"Indeed I am afraid she will," replied Henry; "I am afraid she will be very constant, unless a baronet should come in
2her way; that is Frederick's only chance. I will get the Bath paper, and look over the arrivals." "You think it is all
3for ambition, then? And, upon my word, there are some things that seem very like it. I cannot forget that, when she
4first knew what my father would do for them, she seemed quite disappointed that it was not more. I never was so deceived
5in anyone's character in my life before." "Among all the great variety that you have known and studied." "My own
6disappointment and loss in her is very great; but, as for poor James, I suppose he will hardly ever recover it." "Your
7brother is certainly very much to be pitied at present; but we must not, in our concern for his sufferings, undervalue
8yours. You feel, I suppose, that in losing Isabella, you lose half yourself: you feel a void in your heart which nothing
9else can occupy. Society is becoming irksome; and as for the amusements in which you were wont to share at Bath, the
10very idea of them without her is abhorrent. You would not, for instance, now go to a ball for the world. You feel that
11you have no longer any friend to whom you can speak with unreserve, on whose regard you can place dependence, or whose
12counsel, in any difficulty, you could rely on. You feel all this?" "No," said Catherine, after a few moments'
13reflection, "I do not--ought I? To say the truth, though I am hurt and grieved, that I cannot still love her, that I am
14never to hear from her, perhaps never to see her again, I do not feel so very, very much afflicted as one would have
15thought." "You feel, as you always do, what is most to the credit of human nature. Such feelings ought to be
16investigated, that they may know themselves." Catherine, by some chance or other, found her spirits so very much
17relieved by this conversation that she could not regret her being led on, though so unaccountably, to mention the
18circumstance which had produced it. CHAPTER 26 From this time, the subject was frequently canvassed by the three young
19people; and Catherine found, with some surprise, that her two young friends were perfectly agreed in considering
20Isabella's want of consequence and fortune as likely to throw great difficulties in the way of her marrying their
21brother. Their persuasion that the General would, upon this ground alone, independent of the objection that might be
22raised against her character, oppose the connection, turned her feelings moreover with some alarm towards herself. She
23was as insignificant, and perhaps as portionless, as Isabella; and if the heir of the Tilney property had not grandeur
24and wealth enough in himself, at what point of interest were the demands of his younger brother to rest? The very
25painful reflections to which this thought led could only be dispersed by a dependence on the effect of that particular
26partiality, which, as she was given to understand by his words as well as his actions, she had from the first been so
27fortunate as to excite in the General; and by a recollection of some most generous and disinterested sentiments on the
28subject of money, which she had more than once heard him utter, and which tempted her to think his disposition in such
29matters misunderstood by his children. They were so fully convinced, however, that their brother would not have the
30courage to apply in person for his father's consent, and so repeatedly assured her that he had never in his life been
31less likely to come to Northanger than at the present time, that she suffered her mind to be at ease as to the necessity
32of any sudden removal of her own. But as it was not to be supposed that Captain Tilney, whenever he made his
33application, would give his father any just idea of Isabella's conduct, it occurred to her as highly expedient that
34Henry should lay the whole business before him as it really was, enabling the General by that means to form a cool and
35impartial opinion, and prepare his objections on a fairer ground than inequality of situations. She proposed it to him
36accordingly; but he did not catch at the measure so eagerly as she had expected. "No," said he, "my father's hands need
37not be strengthened, and Frederick's confession of folly need not be forestalled. He must tell his own story." "But he
38will tell only half of it." "A quarter would be enough." A day or two passed away and brought no tidings of Captain
39Tilney. His brother and sister knew not what to think. Sometimes it appeared to them as if his silence would be the
40natural result of the suspected engagement, and at others that it was wholly incompatible with it. The General,
41meanwhile, though offended every morning by Frederick's remissness in writing, was free from any real anxiety about him,
42and had no more pressing solicitude than that of making Miss Morland's time at Northanger pass pleasantly. He often
43expressed his uneasiness on this head, feared the sameness of every day's society and employments would disgust her with
44the place, wished the Lady Frasers had been in the country, talked every now and then of having a large party to dinner,
45and once or twice began even to calculate the number of young dancing people in the neighbourhood. But then it was such
46a dead time of year, no wild-fowl, no game, and the Lady Frasers were not in the country. And it all ended, at last, in
47his telling Henry one morning that when he next went to Woodston, they would take him by surprise there some day or
48other, and eat their mutton with him. Henry was greatly honoured and very happy, and Catherine was quite delighted with
49the scheme. "And when do you think, sir, I may look forward to this pleasure? I must be at Woodston on Monday to attend
50the parish meeting, and shall probably be obliged to stay two or three days." "Well, well, we will take our chance some
51one of those days. There is no need to fix. You are not to put yourself at all out of your way. Whatever you may happen
52to have in the house will be enough. I think I can answer for the young ladies making allowance for a bachelor's table.
53Let me see; Monday will be a busy day with you, we will not come on Monday; and Tuesday will be a busy one with me. I
54expect my surveyor from Brockham with his report in the morning; and afterwards I cannot in decency fail attending the
55club. I really could not face my acquaintance if I stayed away now; for, as I am known to be in the country, it would be
56taken exceedingly amiss; and it is a rule with me, Miss Morland, never to give offence to any of my neighbours, if a
57small sacrifice of time and attention can prevent it. They are a set of very worthy men. They have half a buck from
58Northanger twice a year; and I dine with them whenever I can. Tuesday, therefore, we may say is out of the question. But
59on Wednesday, I think, Henry, you may expect us; and we shall be with you early, that we may have time to look about us.
60Two hours and three quarters will carry us to Woodston, I suppose; we shall be in the carriage by ten; so, about a
61quarter before one on Wednesday, you may look for us." A ball itself could not have been more welcome to Catherine than
62this little excursion, so strong was her desire to be acquainted with Woodston; and her heart was still bounding with
63joy when Henry, about an hour afterwards, came booted and greatcoated into the room where she and Eleanor were sitting,
64and said, "I am come, young ladies, in a very moralizing strain, to observe that our pleasures in this world are always
65to be paid for, and that we often purchase them at a great disadvantage, giving ready-monied actual happiness for a
66draft on the future, that may not be honoured. Witness myself, at this present hour. Because I am to hope for the
67satisfaction of seeing you at Woodston on Wednesday, which bad weather, or twenty other causes, may prevent, I must go
68away directly, two days before I intended it." "Go away!" said Catherine, with a very long face. "And why?" "Why! how
69can you ask the question? Because no time is to be lost in frightening my old housekeeper out of her wits, because I
70must go and prepare a dinner for you, to be sure." "Oh! not seriously!"
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